West Africa’s Intergovernmental Action Group against Money
Laundering (GIABA) on Tuesday concluded a regional sensitization workshop for
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on AML/CFT in the Senegalese capital of
Dakar.
The August 6-7, 2012 event is meant to sensitize civil society
organizations on AML/CFT issues and related implications in the West African
sub-region; to get members of the civil society actively committed to their
role as champions against these twin scourges by spreading the message at
grassroots level; to establish links and a solid network of CSOs engaged in the
fight as a means of sharing experiences and knowledge within the sub-region;
and finally, to build the capacity of CSOs and empower them to take ownership
of the fight against ML/FT.
Money
laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) inhibit economic development,
threaten social and political stability, cause artificial rise in the cost of
business, and impede direct foreign investment.
And the recognition of the negative effects of ML/TF has
prompted the international community to take measures to combat them. Represent a
comprehensive set of acceptable standards against ML/TF and proliferation
financing.
“The fight against money
laundering and terrorist financing is a collective responsibility of all
stakeholders,” GIABA’s Director General Dr.
Abdullahi Shehu said. “GIABA recognises the valuable contributions that
civil society can make to the public policy –making processes and attaches
great importance to the institution’s own dialogue and partnership with civil
society organizations.”
Fundamentally, one of the main thrusts of GIABA’s Regional Strategic Plan is the promotion of
sustainable partnerships with the private sector, civil society and other key
stakeholders., he added.
Senegal’s Adviser to the president and Minister
in-charge of Human Rights, Peace, Refugees and Humanitarian Affairs, Prof Amsatou Sow SIDEBE, challenge CSOs to go back to their
countries, societies and communities to raise the social capital “enough to
deal with all corrupt elements in each society and guarantee a better society,
where economic, financial and other internationally organized crimes will be
reduced to its barest minimum.”
She cited the conspicuous benefits active and
vibrant CSOs have brought to her country.
“I therefore call on the Civil Society, not to go
back to sleep, as democracy did not start and end with elections,” Prof SIDEBE
said, adding: “There is the continued role to monitoring all democratic and
governmental institutions for sustainability of public order, until near
egalitarian society is built.”
However, Human Rights Lawyer and Activists, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) argues CSOs cannot successfully wage the war
against corruption, money laundering and terrorism financing without forming an
alliance with political parties, trade unions, women and youth organizations
with a view to fighting together for a society where the welfare and security
of the majority of the people will be the primary purpose of government.
One of GIABA’s strategic objectives for the period spanning
2011-2014 is to promote strategic partnership with the private sector, the
civil society and other key stakeholders in raising the awareness of the
community as a means of empowering the citizenry and enabling them to take
corrective measures.
In April 2012 GIABA
hosted a similar session in Dakar, Senegal. The “Interactive Session for Media Executives and
Journalists in West Africa” exhorts journalists to team up with other agencies involved in the fight
against ML/TF in order to step-up fight against financial and related crimes.
The
session culminated in a communiqué which said “Both journalists and other
agencies should collectively ensure that appropriate measures are taken against
the twin crimes in a more harmonized and concerted manner.”
GIABA is a
specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African State
(ECOWAS), as well as Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - Style Regional Body
(FSRB) established in 2000 by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of
the West African economic bloc.
Modou S. Joof
No comments:
Post a Comment
The views expressed in this section are the authors' own. It does not represent The North Bank Evening Standard (TNBES)'s editorial policy. Also, TNBES is not responsible for content on external links.